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Based on the highly successful John Tomac Nevegal tire, The Small Block 8 features 8 smaller Nevegal-shaped knobs running left to right across the tire wheras the Nevegal has only 6 knobs. Designed to give more bite on the ground, better acceleration and speed- the SB8 is quickly becoming a racers favorite.

In Florida, I had no complaints at all really. It slipped in the open dusty corners that got baked in the sun and...Read complete review

I've used this in Florida, NY, and Cali.

In Florida, I had no complaints at all really. It slipped in the open dusty corners that got baked in the sun and loosened, but most tires I've tried lose it there, especially when pushing the pace and going in relatively fast. On short climbs in the moist, where the dirt was a bit more muddier, it slipped and carried the slick greasy mud for a good bit before control was fully restored. I didn't go long distance, but it made the fast and twisty singletrack super fun, except after heavy rainfall.

In NY, I discovered that the tires grip rock surfaces like none other. I also discovered that even moderate inclines covered with gravel and leaves, that were recently drenched by rain, made pedaling up nearly impossible, due to slipping and spinning out. Such areas were rare to come across, was riding a trail in Mt. Beacon, in the Fall, that was part of a lightly ridden trail system that a newly built trail connected to, but it left a bad impression. I have nothing but praise for the tire in places like Stewart; the soupy mud at Stewart didn't even seem to be enough of prob that warranted switching to slower and grippier tires.

In SoCal, the trails are really buff and fast. It's fast all the time, and fast tires really shine here. You just can't ride them on trails that have thorns, since you will go home with dozens of thorns sticking through it and pretty much have to spend more than a tube's worth of patches to fix it. The speed this tire generates means you'll need to be on the brakes more and be more skillful; don't hit the brakes in a corner or take a corner so fast that the ground washes out, else you'll be in for a fun/flow killing slip-up or crash.

Overall, these tires are fast and are well behaved when going straight, providing more grip in climbing that knobbier tires in hardpack, and controlled braking, but they have a personality that you must be acquainted with before you can use the tire to its fullest extent. The speed *really impresses* you at first, but the more familiar you become with it, the more you dislike it. This tire's weakness seems to reveal itself when your inertia is going one way and the tire is turned another way, like in a turn. Looking at the tread pattern, it looks like it's only really good at climbing, braking, and forces 90 degrees to straight (lateral forces), like off camber sections, and bermed corners. Its knob height doesn't allow for getting through deeper loose stuff to the hard surface it can grip and the tight knob spacing doesn't clear mud well.

That all said, it doesn't lose any stars for not being an all conditions tire, as it's definitely not advertised as one. It's a very specialized tire, designed to excel at hardpack, and it performs much much better than all terrain tires when it's in its element. It loses a star as it's not perfect and that I found that the competition is better, but the competition also costs 1.5x to even 3x as much. Great tire for the racer on a budget.

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Most Liked Negative Review

Fast. Good for XC or fireroads.

I'm an average SoCal MTB'er and I found this tire didn't have enough traction on all the types of terrain I ride to justify using it. I can't afford to have a different tire depending...Read complete review

I'm an average SoCal MTB'er and I found this tire didn't have enough traction on all the types of terrain I ride to justify using it. I can't afford to have a different tire depending on the trail I will ride that day. Straightline traction is good on asphalt and fire roads. I could not use this tire on the front. I'm pretty hard on front tires as I brake hard into turns. I don't coast into them. This comes from riding motorcycles.The knobs are TINY so they wear pretty quick.If I needed a XC racing tire, this might go on the back depending on the course. For general purpose riding, I think it is way too limiting on trails I ride.

2.1 width is not accurate, its more like around 1.95 inflated. Nonetheless its is good value for the money as a replacement for my worn down knobby rear tires. I think this is best used on the rear for lower resistance if you want to go fast on hardpack surface.

I have a 2.35" DTC Kenda Small Block 8 as my rear tire on 2010 Stumpjumper FSR Comp, paired with a 2.35" Kenda Nevegal up front. I find the Small Block 8 rolls fast and allows me to climb long hills better than other tires that have more bite. I do feel the back end slide out on occasion when taking corners hard or in loose conditions. I do feel the Small Block 8 and Nevagal pair nicely together.

In addition, I have another bike with Small Block 8 on front and rear that I use to pull the kids bike trailer with. These faster rolling tires allow me to ride longer distances on paved trails than I would be able to with more agressive tires. Overall I feel that the durability of these tires is descent as well.

This tire is legendary, and even though long in the teeth, still works very well for intended use. These are NOT mud tires. Plus I think the price is unbeatable. I keep thinking of trying other manufacturers, but when I see the price of their best tires, they are much more expensive then Kenda. Plus, Kenda's are much easier to find. Performance wise, I couldn't be happier. I ride & race x/c. I use SB8 rear, and Slant-6 on frnt. I love these tires for their speed and DTC traction.

I'm an average SoCal MTB'er and I found this tire didn't have enough traction on all the types of terrain I ride to justify using it. I can't afford to have a different tire depending on the trail I will ride that day. Straightline traction is good on asphalt and fire roads. I could not use this tire on the front. I'm pretty hard on front tires as I brake hard into turns. I don't coast into them. This comes from riding motorcycles.The knobs are TINY so they wear pretty quick.If I needed a XC racing tire, this might go on the back depending on the course. For general purpose riding, I think it is way too limiting on trails I ride.

I use this in 2.1 width both front and back for most XC terrain in the SF Bay and Tahoe areas during the dry months. As long as it is not wet, they have great climbing traction on hardpack and dusty trails and relatively loose fire roads. Very fast on flats and on the way down. Rounded profile gives very predictable downhill performance and cornering.

If the conditions are rockier or there will be a lot of loose gravel, I'll put something with a more aggressive pattern on the front, but keep the Small Block 8 on the back.

Not a good choice for our sticky brand of mud out here, and I wouldn't expect them to perform very well in other muddy areas given the small knobs.

I use them with tubes, and recommend rotating front to back every couple hundred miles to balance out wear.

I read EVERYTHING trying to find the perfect tires for my riding in Michigan, at Stoney Creek and Pontiac Lake Metro parks near Detroit. I Called the Jensen Tech guys and they talked me into the Kenda SB8 that really do excel on hard pack single and 2-tracks here. Boy am I impressed! I think what I first noticed was great straight line stability, my WTB Weir Wolfs wanted to wander and were very twitchy and I did not feel confident. The SB8s immediately allowed me to go faster and hold a line downhill, scary fast but they handled the ruts and rocks without me feeling out of control. I run an older Trek 6700 disc hard tail and these tires with the Mavic Crossride wheel set made it a new bike. Thanks Jensen!

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